The earth and us

For quite a while now I have been interested in our issues with the environment and the way we live on this earth. I try to change the way I live bit by bit so that it makes me feel happier and I spill as few resources as I can. It puzzles me that we live in a way that is in fact unhealthy; the speed is too high, we have to achieve so much it seems. It makes a lot of people tired and depressed. Our food is mostly processed and we don't really know what it contains. We want to buy new things and when we have them we desire other new things.
Here I go again. I try to explain what I think the problem really is and why I am so intrigued by it. I never succeed. This is because I don't know how this environment stuff really works.
Why are you against nuclear power?
Well I don't really know.. Because it doesn't feel right? Because there is a really good reason why it was wrong, I read it somewhere but I can't remember what it was exactly?
Now I am reading a book that explains a lot of the systems of the earth and what effect we have on these systems. It has all the scientific information, but explained in a very simple manner. It asks the question; how far can we stretch the earth? What information is true and what is false? It is in Dutch, so for everyone who can read Dutch, I really recommend you to read this. It is called "Hoe rekbaar is onze planeet?" by Johan van Rhijn. The first chapters might be a bit tough, you could skip those, but if you want to understand everything, do try to read them.
For the English reading people in here, there are a lot more books on this topic. I read 'No-Impact-Man' by Colin Beavan and can recommend this book as well! It is very down to earth, funny and easy to read.